The Southern herald., 1887-03-12
Our washington Letter.
wAsHmorOS, March 4, 1887.

WASHINGTON, Marcn 4 1901
Ere this letter reaches you the
Forty Ninth Congress will have ex-
pired, and l had as we'll write its
obituary a few hours in advance Of
its demise.
Many criticisms and slurs and
filings have been leyeled at it during
the two brief years of its existence,
and many attempts have been made
to show that it has an unworthy
record. But as a matter of fact it
makes much better showing than
any recent Congress has done, es-
pecially when it is remembered
that it was Democratic in one
branch and Republican in the 9TH
or, and consequently unequipped
for harmonious and rapid progress.
One reason that it was constant
ly derided and reviled as a failure
was because extravagant promises
were made for it and more was ex-
pected than could be accomplished,
where one House was under the
control Of a vigorous and alert op-
position. The Forty Seventh Con-
grcss was Republican in both
branches and yet it did nothing
that is worthy Of mention, while
the little that it did was done very
badly.
The Forty Ninth has enacted a
law providing for the Presidential
succession; a law for silver certif-
Gates; a law reducing the fee for
money orders; law forfeiting un-
earned land grants and restoring
about seventy-tive million acres to
the public domain open for actual
settlers; law in the interest Of the
merchant marine; a law providing
for valuable addition to the Ma
Wy; law for a National Library;
a law allotting lands in severalty
to the Indians; the Interstate Com
merce law; a law establishing arbi-
tration in labor controversies; and
it has redeemed trade dollars and
extended the free delivery system.
While there is life there is hope,
and while l am writing the Forty
Ninth has three more hours to
live. 1t is frantic in its efforts to
make the most of this brief period
of grace, and bills are rushing
through rapidly. It is hoped and
expected that among them will be
one changing Inauguration day
from the bleak, windy fourth of
March to the soft, balmy day that
the 30th of April brings. At this
moment the reform measure has
not passed.
There have been night sessions
in both ends of the Capitol during
the week and lively scenes have oc-
cured in the House through the
wild efforts of members wanting
little bills through to catch the
Speakers eye. 1t is amusing and
even pathetic to see the eagerness
with which members stand in their
places after morning prayer and
wait for Speaker Carlisle to finish
laying before the House the docu-
ments and personal requests that
accumulate on his desk. When he
is through and his eye is supposed
to be abroad in the House, the
anxious members flourish bits of
paper aloft in order to attract his
glance, while occasionally one i'm
patient man calls "Mr. Speaker, !"
before the proper time, and then
half a hundred others shout "Mr.
Speaker" "Mr. Speaker" all at
once.
The Speaker is imperturbable
and his voice is always calm and
steady, no matter how exciting his
surroundings. At last evenings
session a score of members rushed
into the spaCein front of the clerks
desk, and waving their bills wildly
in the air, vociferously claimed
recognition. The confusion on the
floor, added to the buzz of conver-
sation in the galleries, which were
filled to their utmost capacity, was
SO great for a time that business
had to be suspended, and it was
only by loud rappings of the gavel
and repeated appeals to the mem
bcrs to preserve the proprieties,
assisted by the efforts of the Ser
geant-at-Arms and his deputies,
+hot f1,o QnaoLor ci1ooaadod in 70